VEGAS!!!

I'll be in Las Vegas starting this Saturday (the 17th) for four days/five nights.

I am a pretty hardcore gambler, but to me, gambling should be done for the gain, not "entertainment."

This generally culminates in the bottom line: total outlay - total winnings = net profit/loss.

Here, total outlay is the price of travel, lodging, transportation, and meals plus the bankroll.

For once, I think that I've done the proper research. I went to Costa Rica in 1999 with little or no idea of what to expect. I stayed almost three years and, at times, it was a struggle. I was in Guatemala a couple of years ago for six weeks, but that was a no-brainer because I took everything with me that I would need. Obviously, this was a lesson learned from the Costa Rica travels. Also, I had a friend/old editor there so he already knew the ropes.

This time, I have an old editor who lives in Vegas (Henderson really) but I'm probably only going to see him on Sunday. Besides, I really needed to figure this out for myself.

So I started looking around in the middle of September for "deals" on airfares and hotels. I have never been to Las Vegas so I do not have the luxury of hotels there sending me promotions and offers. More about this later...

The first place I started looking was www.CheapoVegas.com -- I've been following this site for a couple of years now. The site is simple, straightforward, and smarmy. And, I like that.